>> EVERYONE WANTS TO BE HAPPY.
BUT DID YOU KNOW THERE IS AN ACTUAL SCIENCE BEHIND IT.
IT'S TRUE.
AN AMHERST COLLEGE PROFESSOR AND AUTHOR CAME IN TO EXPLAIN IT TO
US.
ANDERSON JUST RELEASED A NEW BOOK CALLED "THE POSITIVE
SHIFT," AND SHE SPOKE WITH CAROLEE MCGRATH IN THE STUDIO.
>> I WROTE THIS BOOK AFTER TALKING TO A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT
PEOPLE, A BROAD AUDIENCE, ABOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH
OUR THOUGHTS AND BEHAVIOR INFLUENCE HOW WE FEEL.
OUR HAPPINESS, BUT ALSO OUR PHYSICAL HEALTH.
HOW WE RECOVER FROM SURGERY, WHETHER WE GET INFECTED WITH THE
COMMON COLD.
HOW LONG WE LIVE.
IT'S A CULMINATION OF RESEARCH BY LOTS OF PEOPLE IN PSYCHOLOGY,
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOLOGY, THAT LOOKS AT THE MIND-BODY
CONNECTION AND ITS POWERFUL INFLUENCE ON EVERYTHING.
>> IS THERE A SCIENCE FOR HAPPINESS?
>> THERE IS.
WHAT'S REALLY EXCITING THAT WE'RE KNOWING MORE AND MORE
ABOUT IT.
SO SOME OF THE MOST EXCITING RESEARCH IS ACTUALLY BEING DONE
LOOKING AT BRAIN ACTIVITY SO MRI DATA, GENES, TO LOOK AT, ARE
THERE PEOPLE WHO CONSIST AT ANY TIMELY FEEL HAPPY?
YOU PROBABLY KNOW PEOPLE.
MAYBE YOU'RE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE >> SOMETIMES.
ASK MY KID.
NOT ALL THE TIME.
>> THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THE WORLD WHO GO THROUGH LIFE AND CAN
EASILY FIND THAT SILVER LINING, WHO CAN ALWAYS FIND SOMETHING
GOOD NO MATTER WHAT AND THOSE PEOPLE ACTUALLY EXPERIENCE LOTS
OF BENEFITS.
THEY CAN OVERCOME ADVERSITY.
THEY ARE HEALTHIER.
THEY LIVE LONGER.
AND THE IMPORTANT PART OF THIS BOOK IS REALLY THAT IT'S
WONDERFUL IF YOU'RE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE BUT IF YOU'RE NOT, THERE
ARE ALSO THINGS YOU CAN DO.
SO I'M ACTUALLY NOT ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE.
>> YOU SEEM SO HAPPY?
>> PEOPLE SAY THAT TO ME ALL THE TIME BUT IT BECAUSE I PRACTICE.
I'M SOMEONE WHO SPENT MOST OF MY TEENAGE YEARS, MY COLLEGE YEARS,
FRANKLY MY PROFESSIONAL LIFE, BEING ANXIOUS.
WORRYING ABOUT THINGS AND AS I'VE STARTED TO READ AND DO
RESEARCH ON THIS TOPIC, IT BECAME CLEAR TO ME THAT I HAD A
CHOICE, AND THAT I DON'T HAVE THIS NATURAL GENETIC
PREDISPOSITION TO HAPPINESS BUT THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN ALL
DO, THOUGHTS AND BEHAVIORS, THAT MAKE US FEEL BETTER.
>> GIVE US SOME SPECIFICS ON THAT BECAUSE I FIND THAT
INTERESTING BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE SAY YOU CAN ACTUALLY PRACTICE
THIS STUFF.
>> YOU CAN, AND, FRANKLY, YOU SHOULD.
IF YOU'RE NOT SOMEONE THAT COMES BY IT NATURALLY.
ONE SET OF THINGS ARE BEHAVIORS THAT WE CAN DO.
AND THERE ARE DIFFERENT ONES THAT WORK FOR DIFFERENT PEOPLE
SO I WANT TO BE REAL CLEAR.
IT'S NOT A ONE SIZE FITS ALL BUT ONE OF THE CONSISTENT FINDINGS,
SPENDING TIME WITH NATURE.
SO YOU AND I ARE TALKING ON WHAT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY OUTSIDE
AND LOTS OF RESEARCH HAS SHOWN SPENDING TIME OUTSIDE, LOOKING
AT NATURE EVEN THROUGH A WINDOW, ACTUALLY HAS A TREMENDOUS BOOST
ON OUR HAPPINESS.
>> WHAT ABOUT EXERCISE?
>> EXERCISE IS ANOTHER ONE.
PEOPLE WHO EXERCISING EXPERIENCE A BOOST IN ENDORPHINS THAT MAKE
THEM FEEL BETTER.
WE ALSO KNOW GIVING TO OTHER PEOPLE MAKES US FEEL HAPPY AND
THAT COULD BE DONATING TO CHARITY, IT COULD BE
VOLUNTEERING, IT COULD BE PAYING FOR THE PERSON'S COFFEE IN THE
DRIVE THROUGH DUNCAN LINE BEHIND YOU.
WHICH IS ALWAYS SO FUN.
SO GIVING TO OTHER PEOPLE IN ALMOST ANY WAY MAKES US FEEL
BETTER.
>> I THINK PART OF THAT IS, AND YOU MENTIONED PEOPLE WHO ALWAYS
SEE A SILVER LINING, IS BEING GRATEFUL REGARDLESS OF YOUR
POSITION IN LIFE.
WHETHER YOUR FINANCES ARE GOOD OR THEY ARE NOT GOOD, YOUR
FAMILY SITUATION IS GOOD OR NOT, FINDING THAT ABILITY TO BE
GRATEFUL AND SOME PEOPLE ARE JUST SO GOOD AT THAT OR MAYBE
THEY ARE BORN THAT WAY.
>> I THINK, YES, AND YES.
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE BORN THAT WAY, WHO CAN ALWAYS SAY,
HERE ARE THINGS I'M GRATEFUL FOR AND THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE THAT
CAN LEARN TO DO THAT.
SO ONE OF THE TECHNIQUES I TALK ABOUT IN THE BOOK, BEFORE YOU GO
TO BED AT NIGHT, WRITING DOWN THREE THINGS THAT YOU'RE
GRATEFUL FOR RIGHT NOW.
NOT THINGS YOU'LL BE GRATEFUL FOR ONCE YOU RETIRE, WIN THE
LOTTERY OR WHATEVER.
RIGHT NOW WHAT ARE YOU GRATEFUL FOR.
>> YOU CAN START GOING THROUGH YOUR LIST IN YOUR HEAD, I'VE HAD
A BAD DAY.
I TRIPPED OVER ANOTHER SHOE WALKING INTO THE HOUSE.
AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, IT SOUNDS SILLY BUT IT CAN SPARK YOU BUT
WRITING THAT DOWN SAYING, BUT I HAVE LAUNDRY TO CLEAN, I HAVE A
HOUSE TO WALK INTO, I HAVE KIDS, ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE THINGS
TO WRITE DOWN.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
AND ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS I THINK IS THAT DOING
THAT RIGHT BEFORE YOU GO TO BED CHANGES YOUR MINDSET AS YOU
SLEEP.
THAT MANY PEOPLE GO TO SLEEP AT NIGHT AND THEY THINK ABOUT THEIR
TO-DO LIST.
WHAT ARE THE PROBLEMS THEY ARE FACING WHAT ARE THESE UPCOMING
THINGS?
SIMPLY TAKING THAT TIME, FIVE MINUTES, BEFORE YOU GO TO SLEEP,
AND WRITING THOSE THINGS DOWN, CENTERING YOU, ACTUALLY HELPS
YOU SLEEP BETTER AND THAT'S ANOTHER BEHAVIOR THAT MAKES US
FEEL HAPPIER AND HEALTHIER.
>> THAT'S JUST A PRACTICAL METHOD THERE.
>> TALK TO ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA.
DO YOU TOUCH ON THAT AND HOW IMPORTANT IS THAT IN OUR LIVES?
>> WELL, THERE IS AN ENTIRE CHAPTER AND I'M GOING TO GIVE
YOU THE PREVIEW OF THE CHAPTER.
THE QUOTE IS, COMPARISON IS THE THIEF OF JOY.
SO TRUE, ISN'T IT?
COMPARISON OF ALL TYPES MAKES US FEEL WORSE.
SO YOU'RE WEAR OF YOUR EIGHT LOADS OF LAUNDRY.
YOU'RE NOT AWARE, EVERYBODY HAS THEIR OWN EIGHT LOADS OF
LAUNDRY.
IT'S EVERYBODY'S -- EVERYBODY ELSE'S LIFE LOOKS PERFECT AND
EASY AND SOCIO-MEDIA PLAYS RIGHT INTO THAT.
WHEN EVERYBODY ON SOCIO-MEDIA POSTS WONDERFUL ACCOMPLISHMENTS
OF THEIR CHILDREN, THEIR FOR US WILL VACATIONS, THIS GREAT MEAL
THEY ARE HAVING, AND IT FORCES US TO DO THESE COMPARISONS THAT
CAN MAKE US FEEL WORSE ABOUT OURSELVES.
>> IT CAN LEAD TO ANXIETY, I DIDN'T DO THAT TODAY OR ON THE
LAST HOLIDAY.
DO YOU RECOMMEND PEOPLE GIVE ATE BREAK?
DO YOU RECOMMEND PEOPLE COMPLETELY QUIT IT?
HOW DO YOU FEEL WITH THIS?
>> I THINK IT'S COMPLICATED, AND SO I THINK ONE THING IS REALLY
BEING AUTHENTIC ABOUT WHO YOU ARE ON SOCIO-MEDIA.
I THINK SO MANY PEOPLE GO OUT OF THEIR WAY TO PRESENT ONLY THE
GOOD, INSTEAD OF PRESENTING THINGS THEY CAN REALLY STRUGGLE
WITH.
SO I'LL USE AN EXAMPLE THAT'S VERY PERSONAL TO ME.
MY MOTHER DIED 15 YEARS AGO, AND ON MOTHER'S DAY, IT WAS JUST A
BRUTAL HOLIDAY FOR ME BECAUSE IF YOU GO ON MOTHER'S DAY, ON
SOCIAL MEDIA, HERE I AM AT BRUNCH WITH MY MOM AND BEST MOM
EVER, AND WHATEVER, AND IT WAS A HORRIBLE DAY FOR ME.
AND WHAT I STARTED DOING INSTEAD WAS ON MOTHER'S DAY I WOULD GO
ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND I WOULD POST A PICTURE OF ME AND MY MOM AND I
WOULD SAY, I'M REALLY MISSING MY MOM TODAY.
TODAY IS A HARD DAY FOR ME AND I WOULD TAG ALL THE DIFFERENT
PEOPLE I KNEW WHO HAD ALSO LOST THEIR MOMS OF WHICH, OF COURSE,
THEY ARE MANY PEOPLE, AND MORE EVERY YEAR.
AND OVERWHELMINGLY SO MANY PEOPLE REACHED OUT, AND THANKED
ME FOR SAYING I APPRECIATE YOU THINKING ABOUT ME AND MY MISSING
MOP AS WELL.
THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF NOT STAYING AWAY FROM SOCIAL MEDIA BUT BEING
HONEST WHEN YOUR LIFE ISN'T PERFECT, ISN'T EASY, WHEN YOU'RE
STRUGGLING WITH THINGS, AND THEN CAN THEN USE SOME SUPPORT.
>> DO YOU THINK SOMETIMES WE ALSO, YOU KNOW, THINK CERTAIN
THINGS WILL MAKE US HAPPY.
IF WE JUST GET THIS JOB.
IF WE JUST HAD THIS MUCH MONEY.
IF EARN JUST IN THIS RELATIONSHIP, ALWAYS WAITING FOR
THAT NEXT BIG THING TO HAPPEN.
I MEAN THAT CAN REALLY BE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
THERE IS FABULOUS RESEARCH THAT ILLUSTRATES THIS PRINCIPLE THAT
WE'RE ALWAYS THINKING HAPPINESS IS JUST AROUND THIS CORNER.
IF I JUST HAD $5,000 FOR MORE OR IF I JUST GOT INTO COLLEGE OR A
PROMOTION OR WHATEVER, BOUGHT A HOUSE, AND THEN THAT THING
HAPPENS AND IMMEDIATELY YOU'RE HAPPY, AND THEN YOU JUST
ACCLIMATE.
IT'S JUST YOUR LIFE WITH AN EXTRA $5,000 YOU'VE NOW SPENT.
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE DON'T FIND
HAPPINESS IN THE PURSUIT OF POSSESSIONS, AND WE ACCLIMATE
VERY QUICKLY TO NEW FOUND ACHIEVEMENTS, AND
ACCOMPLISHMENTS, YOU KNOW, MONEY, ET CETERA.